Halfling
by Never An Honest Word
Summary: Rewrite/Remake of my fic Star Wars: Legacy. Meet Idari Tress, a half-human, half-Togruta Jedi initiate. When he is thrown into the war by a decision of Master Yoda himself, he must fight to keep the Galaxy safe. With the help of his master, his best friend, and Ahsoka, will he be able to restore peace to the Galaxy? OC x Ahsoka T for violence
1. Chapter 1: Krillin's Little Buddy

**Hey everybody, it's Chase-a.k.a. Never An Honest Word-here with the first chapter of the remake/rewrite of my very first story, Star Wars: Legacy! I realize that the writing style was actually pretty bad, and I'll admit that it got pretty ridiculous as it got on, so I figured I'd rewrite the story to try and make it better! Bear with me, please, because I want to prove myself, to make myself believe that I'm capable of improving anything, especially if I set my mind to it. Also, I can't promise to update constantly, because I have a very important term paper that I absolutely HAVE to get done, so I may or may not leave you guys hanging for days at a time, but I want to at least TRY to update at least once a week. Anyway, if you read the first story, you'll notice a DEFINITE difference in the plot, and personally I think that it's better, but if you guys like it/don't like it, be sure to tell me in the reviews!**

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Halfling; that is what they call me. The other initiates, they scorn me, tease me; not because of who I am, because of what I am. A few choose to ignore me instead, but the feeling of cold hatred is still there.

Even as I walk alone in the chilly, deserted chambers of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, late for my lightsaber dueling class, I know that the hostility directed towards me by the others still hangs over my head like a hot, heavy pressure.

My name is Idari Tress, and I am an initiate in the Jedi Order. I was born fourteen years ago, though I do not know where I was born, nor my parentage—though I can easily assume their species. Apparently I was born from the union of a Togruta and a human.

I have skin that is a pale orange in colour, with a pair of frigid grey eyes that look as if they are made of steel. Twin lekku, pale, tail-like appendages that protrude from the side of my head and rest upon my shoulders like parrots, and then a third lek extends from the back of my skull; they all are pale with blue stripes on them. A light brown robe covers my body, reaching down to my knees.

In essence, I AM a Togruta—the only thing that I don't have that Togrutas do is a pair of montrals on my head—montrals are essentially hollow horns that extend from the lekku of all Togrutas. That is literally the only thing that can determine my distinction.

I glance around at the hallway—large windows open up to my right, revealing a daytime cityscape dotted with speeders and ships. Carved stone archways reach into the ceiling, stretching up at least fifty feet, and pillars with intricate designs flank the hallway. As I continue on my way, I hear the hum of lightsabers and the clash as the plasma blades slam into each other. A small arched doorway enters my vision, and I turn into it.

As I step into the room, the now much louder hum of the lightsabers assaults my ears, and I sigh with relief-I love this class. Apparently the Dueling Master, a blonde human named Cin Drallig, has finished his pre-sparring lecture, which I have no qualms about missing-it's almost always about swift strikes and never turning your back on your opponent (at that point he always shows us a rather ugly scar from a lightsaber from his own days as an initiate). He holds a thin grey cylinder with various adornments in both hands. "Now, who would like to go first?" his voice rings out above the din of the other initiates of various species, who sit cross-legged in front of him.

He stalks about the dueling field, a raised platform in the middle of the torch-lit room. No windows are in the room whatsoever, and the air smells of blood and sweat-literally. His blue eyes lock on me and he drawls, "Mr. Tress. How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

"My apologies, master. I was... previously occupied." I atone, narrowing my eyes at a blonde-haired human initiate named Whie Malreaux, who smirks at me. That little bastard had tied me to the bed in our shared dormitory-rather passive compared to some of the usual abuse I suffer from the others, but nonetheless an inconvenience.

"Well, perhaps YOU will be able to set a standard for the class to try and follow today." Master Drallig replies stiffly, beckoning me forward. Reluctantly I step to the stage, and I can feel the icy stares of the other initiates-I don't know what's so wrong with being a halfling, though I assume they consider themselves superior for being "pureblooded."

Screw being pure of blood; from what I have heard about Master Yoda, the short, green grand master of the Jedi Order, he himself is a combination of so many species that if he were an animal he would be considered a mutt. Yet I digress.

"Now, who wishes to go up against Mr. Tress?" the blonde-haired master asks, and immediately a dozen hands go up-no doubt all of them wanting to show that they're better than a halfling. Master Drallig's eyes sweep over the group gathered here, and they rest on a rather large hand. "Yes, Mr. Prestage."

I gulp audibly as he stands up. Krillin Prestage, at least five-feet-eight-inches and pure muscle. Shaggy black hair frames a heart-shaped face, situated with two emerald green eyes. A similar brown robe covers his pale skin, and he clutches a training lightsaber in his hands.

There's no way I could beat him hand-to-hand, so I suppose it's best to analyze my advantages. I'm at least twice as smart as him-he's incredibly stupid, albeit rather good with machines. He's slow-when watching him, I'm able to see his strikes coming before he probably realizes he's attacking; and he cannot block to save his life.

As for my disadvantages: One of his strikes would probably disarm me.

As he lumbers his way up to the stage, I carefully plan out my actions. I'll start out in the low-guard stance, then take a few swings at him with my saber; he may block a few, but I'll likely get a few in on him, and the blade, produced by a specially-focused crystal, will sting him a bit. He'll swing, and I'll duck to the side with ease-then I'll catch him off guard and swipe the blade from his hands with a well-placed strike.

His footsteps make thuds on the hollow wooden stage as we take our corners. Master Drallig takes his place halfway between us and holds his lightsabers up, igniting them. "Initiates! Bow!" he commands.

We place a fist into our open palm and bow to each other. My training saber slides into my right hand and I take a deep breath as I ignite my sword. A blade of pale purple energy springs forth with a hiss. Quietly I set my blade before me, and Krillin holds his blue blade high above his head as he charges at me, uttering a loud cry of rage.

The ox swings at my left side; I merely step back. Another swing toward my right, another step back. I become the aggressor and slash repeatedly at him, much faster than he had. I catch him across the sides several times, eliciting slight growls of agony. He slices back forcefully, pushing me back; before I know it I'm against the wall.

I duck under his slash and roll to the side, and I can't help but laugh; the fool has his lightsaber stuck in the wall! "Enough!" calls Master Drallig. "Mr. Tress has won."

The tension in the air is so thick that you can cut it with a knife as Krillin turns to me and stares at me. "Shake hands, you two," Master Drallig commands, and we do so.

The class continues on with various other duels, none of them relatively outstanding. I notice that no one smirks at me, no one even looks at me. After about two hours, it ends.

As I begin to leave the room I notice that I have attracted the gaze of a Togruta girl; I believe her name is Ahsoka. Sweat glistens off of her orange skin, and ceremonial Togrutan tattoos dot her face. She too wears a brown robe; I saw her fight. She's rather aggressive, jumping around and pecking at her opponent repeatedly until they wear down; however, she's very quick to tire, and she was defeated by Malreaux-albeit a very narrow defeat.

"Class dismissed," Master Drallig says, and the group departs. Most of the others leave in groups, Ahsoka being among them. I walk out, silent and alone. I have nothing to do for the rest of the day, so I head toward the commons.

However, as soon as I step into the hall, I hear, "Hey, Halfling!"

I slump my shoulders and sigh, "What do you want, Malreaux?"

"I don't believe that's a proper tone to use with me," he says, stalking forward and taking on a derisive tone. "Halflings shouldn't address their superiors in any tone that is not adoring."

"Right. Where's my superior?" I ask, glancing around the hallway mockingly.

"Very funny." the blonde replies. "You know, after over five years one would think you'd have learned your place by now. Perhaps I should start the daily beating again." he says, cracking his knuckles and stepping toward me. He pulls back his fist to punch, but he never throws it.

Instead, he's thrown to the ground by an imposing force. I look up at my saviour, and I see Krillin Prestage standing there.

"Krillin?"

He nods and grunts a bit.

"Why'd you do that? I thought you hated me."

"You beat me." he says gruffly. "You have earned my respect."

"Thank you."

"Nobody touches Krillin's little buddy." he replies, grinning a little and patting me on my head, reminding me that I'm shorter than he is. He then glances out one of the windows for a second, and then says, "I'll see you later, little buddy. Got a class."

"Bye, Krillin," I say to my new-my first-friend as he rushes off.

"Hey, Tress." a female voice says from behind me. I turn to see Ahsoka in combat gear-a brown sports bra and skirt with matching combat boots. She's shifting nervously on her feet. "Master Yoda called for us."

"Sorry?" I reply, slightly surprised at her talking to me-today's a whole day of firsts, isn't it?

"Master Yoda has called for us," she says again, her voice even. "In the meditation gardens. He wants to see us both."

I nod. "Very well then."

"...What are you waiting for?" she asks impatiently. "He wants to see us now."

"Oh, you meant now."

"Yes, now."

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**Well, there you have it, the very first chapter of the remake. Once more, if you've read the first story, you will DEFINITELY see a difference. Now, before you say anything about the way Idari is treated, imagine it like he's a Muggleborn and the others are Pureblood Slytherins-or like he's Hermione and the others are Malfoy. While it's probably true that that behaviour would not normally happen, I feel that it is essential for the story development, so there it is. Thanks for taking the time to read, so please, review, favourite, follow, etc.!**

**Thanks a lot everybody,**

**Chase**


	2. Chapter 2: Initiate No More

**Hey everybody, I'm back with another chapter of Halfling—previously known as "Star Wars: Legacy!" Many thanks to y'all who reviewed/favourited/followed already, so I'll give you some shout-outs!**

**WildDev13 and AVP5: Good to see you guys again! Thanks so much for your support; it's people like you who take the time to review that make me want to write more often! You two, my constant/first reviewers (Legacy was my first story, meant so much when you two reviewed that first time!), are the best, and I love you both (you know… like someone would love their friends).**

**To randomy: Welcome, newcomer (or at least I think you are)! Thanks for following the story, it shows that you at least are supporting it! I hope that you'll continue reading!**

**Anyway, on with the story! Oh, and before we get too far in—I made Krillin a Jedi and had the whole sparring scene because I realized that he completely lacked depth—plus I changed his personality around, he's now a big, dumb ox who likes to destroy, who looks at Idari as his "little buddy." Essentially their relationship now is like Russell and Jimmy from the epic game **_**Bully**_**—if you haven't played it, it would be in your best interest to, because that game is amazing… I'd at least recommend watching PewDiePie play it… anyway, enough shameless plugging aside… oh, and quick warning, things might get a little stupidly funny because I was watching/listening to The Creatures playing TreeTopia while writing this.**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Disney to you? *Grumbles* Even though they don't deserve Star Wars, those nonviolent sacks of Orc-maggots… **_**Gollum, gollum**_**… no, my Precious, they should stick to crappy princess movies… **_**Gollum, gollum**_**.**

_Last time, on Dragon Ball Z—er… Halfling._

Idari shows up late to dueling practice; he is picked as the first person to duel and defeats the biggest initiate out there, Krillin Prestage. After class, Idari is approached by Whie Malreaux, the initiate who caused him to be late for class by binding him to his own bed. As Idari is about to be assaulted by the blonde, Krillin pretty much throws Malreaux aside and expresses his newfound respect for the Halfling, referring to him as his "little buddy" with what's probably going to become his catch phrase—"No one touches Krillin's little buddy!"

_And now, on Dragon Ball—I mean… Halfling._ (Again, Leo? Do we have to fire you again?) _You can't fire me! I'm a Spirit Guide!_ (You have no power in this story, so stop stalling!)

We walk quietly through the hallways, Ahsoka and I. Our footsteps are the only sound, echoing from the high ceilings and bouncing off the walls, which are painted a granite grey. A velvety red carpeting covers the floor, and several stone busts stand on carved pedestals.

The silence that settled between us after our brief exchange outside of the dueling room is welcome, although I can tell that she has so much to say, judging by the way she glances around nervously, opens and closes her mouth repeatedly, and occasionally sighs.

"So… you're a Togruta?" she asks awkwardly, trying to make conversation.

"Half." I say quietly, nodding a little.

"What else are you?" she asks, sounding rather intrigued.

"Human." is my reply. I can think of nothing else to say.

"Is that why you don't have the—"

"Montrals? Yes." I say bluntly, tired of the question.

"Alright."

Silence settles between us once more, enveloping us like a sheet of snow—cold and a little uncomfortable. Since the class, she has changed into a brown sports bra and skirt, with matching boots. Her right lek hangs over her shoulder in a somewhat messy manner—kind of cute actually, although I must push those thoughts away; it's against the Jedi Code.

We walk at a steady pace, not in any hurry. Within a few minutes, we reach one of the many meditation gardens spread throughout the Temple.

Lush greenery blooms everywhere, and flowers dot the place. A feeling of ease washes over me as the warm air hits me. It feels as if everything—all my troubles, my worries, my cares—melts away, and I find myself lost gazing at the petals of a rather beautiful blue flower with red thorns sprouting from its stem (1).

"Idari," Ahsoka says quietly, tapping me lightly on the shoulder, snapping me out of it. "Master Yoda, remember?"

I nod a little and we begin walking once more. Water can be heard flowing throughout the place, and our feet make no sound against the floor, which is tiled with intricate designs. A large skylight provides natural lighting to the area, giving it a natural feeling.

We reach the very middle of the garden, where a large, flowing fountain lays. Statues of famous people throughout the history of the Galaxy—I know the names of none of them, so don't ask me who they are—surround the outside of the fountain, while the interior is carved with scenes of heroics through the ages—including a more recent one: The Battle of Geonosis, earlier this year.

A very short green creature rests against the outer edge of the fountain. He wears a brown robe that looks as if it may as well be a sack, that's how small he is, and he clutches a walking staff in his hand. His wrinkled face is stretched and weary, and wiry grey hair rests in the middle of his large green ears. He breathes softly in meditation.

"Idari Tress and Ahsoka Tano." He says quietly. "Good that you have come, it is."

Ahsoka and I bow. "You needed something, Master Yoda?" I ask.

"Nothing do I need," he replies, "but Master Skywalker. Requested Padawans he has, one for him and one for Master Obi-Wan. Asked for aid have they, in the ongoing battle for Christophsis. A squad of Clones will you each bring; command them you must, and command them well."

"Are you sure it's wise, Master?" Ahsoka says somewhat nervously—much against her typical personality. From what I have observed, she is rather talkative, confident and often arrogant. "Perhaps there are others who are better for this than us…"

"When do we leave?" I blurt out. As much as I want to be safe, here at the Temple, I can't deny that I'm rather excited. I've been dreaming about becoming a Padawan and fighting with my master for some time now, and if my observations have proved anything—and they usually do, mind you—then my best-suited master would be Master Kenobi; he is patient and observant, much like me. Our lightsaber forms are rather similar, albeit mine is more aggressive than his. He relies more on diplomacy than violence, and has proved to be a good teacher.

On the other hand, Master Skywalker may be a good master as well; while he is arrogant and hot-headed, he is very skilled. It's true that he isn't near as observant as Master Kenobi, he isn't anywhere near clueless. His form is extremely aggressive and relies mainly on pushing his opponent back and defeating them with ease, as quickly as possible. He is quick to fight, and I'm not sure how good a teacher he would be.

"Leave will you, in two hours." The green grandmaster of the Jedi Order says. "Now, assign you your masters, will I. Ahsoka Tano…" he says softly, nodding and focusing a pair of brown eyes on the orange-skinned girl. "Master Skywalker's Padawan shall you be. Like-minded are you both, but more mature is he; you have much to learn from him."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Ahsoka says, bowing.

He grunts slightly and points his short wooden staff at me; I can see markings that signify age on it, and I can tell it is very old. "Idari Tress… train under Master Kenobi, shall you. A fine teacher is he, and further your abilities can he."

"Thank you, Master," I say, bowing as well. "I shall not fail you."

"See, we shall," the old Grandmaster says, "now, within an hour, meet the clones in Dock A6. Fly to Christophsis as quickly as possible, you must. Now, be off. Leave an old master to his thoughts."

We bow to him once more and leave. "This is rather exciting, isn't it?" this time it is me who spoke up, as soon as we entered the hallway. The sound of flowing water is gone with the hiss of the sliding doors.

"We could die, though," Ahsoka says quietly, though she's taken aback by the fact that it was me speaking. "What if we're not strong enough? We're going to be facing against actual droids, not simulations!"

Part of me wants to hug her, comfort her, hold her in my arms and tell her I will protect her no matter what. I stifle that part quickly. "Then we'll have to take the chance. If we die, we'll die fighting for the Republic; we'll die for freedom. I can't think of anything nobler than that, besides dying for one you love."

"And we'll never get that opportunity," she replies, taking on an understanding tone. "I get what you're saying… it's just… you can't tell me you aren't nervous!" she splutters, her confidence starting to seep back into her.

"Actually, I'm not," I say quietly. "In fact, I'm more excited than ever. I've always wanted to hack apart some of those tin cans they call droids." I add with a slightly cheeky grin.

She smirks at me, her arrogance showing. "You couldn't kill more than I could, though."

"Is that a challenge?" I reply. "Alright then," I add at her wide smirk, "during the battle, we'll keep a kill count for every droid we slaughter. The winner gets bragging rights over the other."

"Deal." She says, and from there we go our separate ways.

After changing into something more suited for battle, a tight black top with an attached hood, as well as a black battle-skirt with black leggings and boots, I head toward Dock A6. I grin openly at Whie Malreaux as I pass by him, my lightsaber hanging from my belt. Initiates are not allowed to carry their lightsabers openly; that is only permitted once you are a Padawan.

"Y-y-you…" he stutters, but by the time he says anything else, I'm already gone.

As I step through the hangar doors, I'm impressed by the size. It's at least fifty feet high and seventy five feet wide, and several grey and brown gunships sit there lazily. A large opening at the end of the hangar reveals a bright blue sky, and several repair droids mill about. At the closest gunship, a rather familiar figure crouches.

"Krillin?" I ask softly, stepping toward him. He stands up and grins at me; his pale face is stained with oil.

"Little buddy!" he says, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I say.

"Class," he says, "ship repair class."

"Nice!" I say, smiling at my friend. "Master Yoda is sending Ahsoka and I to aid Masters Kenobi and Skywalker—as their new Padawans!"

"Congratulations, little buddy!" he says, slapping me on the back—rather painful, actually. "I won't be seeing you again for a while, will I?" he adds, looking down a little.

"Just until we get back from Christophsis," I reply, "shouldn't be too long."

He grins again, "When you get back, you have to tell me all about it!"

"Will do, big buddy." I say, laughing a little.

"You said Ahsoka's coming with you?"

"Yes."

"She's that other Togruta, isn't she?" he asks.

"Yes, why?"

"She's pretty."

"We're Jedi."

"She's still pretty."

"I can't think about her that way."

"You can't act on your thoughts," he says quietly, "you can still think your thoughts."

"I'm a Jedi, Krillin," I say softly. "My devotion is to the Order; I must not fall in love."

"Love?" comes a voice from behind us. Ahsoka has arrived.

"I'll talk to you later," Krillin says, patting me on the back. "Come back safely."

**And here is the end to the second chapter of the remake! Not much really happened in this one, aside from a bit of Ahsoka/Idari quality time, as well as a bit of chatting with Krillin. But next chapter, I'm hoping that we'll get to the fun part—battles! If not, we'll at least have the meetings with the clones and more than likely the masters. **

**So, as always, follow, favourite, review, etc., but especially review, because it tells me that you guys really like the story and gives me more incentive to keep it going! **

**Remember this? Ah… that was a good chapter.**

**Anyway, like I said, I can't update as often, so I hope that two chapters within two days will be alright. Hopefully there will be another one out by Friday/Saturday, but can't promise anything! **

**As always, take care, brush yo' hair, I'll see ya when I see ya, peace!**

**~Chase**

**P.S. if you can tell me the name of the YouTuber whose outro that is, you will get something very, very special!**


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to the Battlefield

**Hey everyone, Chase here with the third chapter of 'Halfling'! I want to apologize about not having it out Friday/Saturday like I promised-my college's production of **_**A Midsummer Night's Dream**_** is set to debut this weekend, so our director added in a bunch of extra practices, and by the time we got back to our dorms, it was at least 3 a.m. (Canada time). Plus, Jordan's been going through some tough stuff with his girlfriend, so I've been his "advisor," I mean, who else would he choose to advise him? I'm a total chick magnet!**

**Audrey: What was that, Chase?**

**Umm... nothing, sweetie.**

**Ian, Jordan, CJ, Jerome, Mitch, Adam, etc.: *Whip-cracking noise***

**...Why are you guys in my dorm anyway?**

**Jordan: I'm your roommate.**

**CJ: I sleep on your couch.**

**The rest: Jordan invited us to make fun of you. *Jerome starts singing 'Wrecking Ball'***

**...Get out. J-just get out. **

**Others: *Join in with Jerome***

**Get out.**

**CJ: *Pops head in* By the way, the official name for this chapter is "Welcome to the Battle Fields, Mother F*cker!" **

**...It is. It actually is.**

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(Leo has taken a vacation. No DBZ errors today.)

So, within one day my world has gone from a friendless, hated initiate to a Padawan whose best friend is the strongest Initiate of the group-I think that'll earn me some respect. Although... I really don't care. I've never exactly been one to give a rat's arse about what people think of me, nor have I ever been a people pleaser, although now, I seem to care even less-though I can't say I don't feel a rush of pride.

Anyway, after saying goodbye to Krillin, I followed Ahsoka and boarded one of the LAAT gunships-a large ship capable of space travel, primarily used for transporting Clones; it is aerodynamically shaped and is painted with brown and grey; several pods extend from the sides of the ship, each equipped with laser cannons. Two large torpedoes are situated on top of the ship, and two gun barrels are mounted on each side of the cockpit. On the inside, there are no seats; only two long handrails extending from the back to the entrance to the cockpit.

When we step inside, five Clone Troopers in their white armour salute us, recognizing our status as Jedi. Their heads are covered by white helmets with a black "T" in the middle, serving as their eyeholes. White breastplates with black bands on their arms cover their chests, and hardened white leggings and boots cover their lower bodies. "Commanders," one says reverently, stepping forward, "my name is Captain Rex."

Captain Rex's uniform is very similar to that of a regular Clone's, except he has blue shoulder pads and blue markings across his armour, signalling the rank of captain. Two blaster pistols are strapped to his waist, and he also has a dark "battle-skirt" as it is referred to among the Initiates. His brown hair is in a buzz-cut and he has brown eyes.

I extend my hand to him. "Idari Tress." I say proudly, and he smiles a little at me and shakes my hand. His hand is rough and callused, and he bows his head respectfully. I smile a little as he says, "Pleased to meet you, Commander."

"No need for formalities, Captain." I say quietly. "I'm used to being treated casually"-at best-"so it is nothing to me. I believe that I should be treated with respect when I have earned respect."

The Clone grins at me. "That sounds like a very respect-worthy thing to say. But as you wish, Idari."

"My name is Ahsoka Tano," Ahsoka says, smiling at the Captain. She bows to him, which he returns.

"Well, since everything seems to be in order, we'll be off in a few moments," Rex says. We nod to him and stand beside each other, grasping a rail.

The shuttle shudders a bit and a loud buzzing noise assaults our ears. The shuttle lurches a bit and I feel it begin to rise. It starts a forward motion and slowly zooms forward. My knees shake a little and Ahsoka grins at me. "First time flying?"

"No," I reply, raising my voice over the noise of the engine, "just had some bad experiences with it."

"Should I ask?"

"Probably not."

"Fair enough," she says, closing her eyes. "I love flying. Gives me a thrill I've never felt from anything else..." she sighs. "It's exhilarating."

I remember why I hate this feeling so much. The feeling of no longer being on solid ground has always shaken me up-whether it be from the pranks I had to endure as an Initiate-such as being tied to a pillar, which actually happened just last week-or in piloting class, when I saw an advanced Initiate pilot his fighter into a building. I close my eyes and sigh deeply, trying to steady myself.

"I'll hold your hand if you want," Ahsoka says slightly mockingly. She turns her head and gives me a soft, yet oddly reassuring smile, and giggles a bit. I glance at her inquisitively, trying to see if she's actually serious. "I was kidding."

"Oh." I say, sounding more dejected than I intended. I look down and take a deep breath, still shaking a little. 'Keep calm, Idari... don't let anyone see you afraid.' I think, squeezing my eyes shut for a minute.

We pick up speed, heading into an upward incline. I grip the ceiling rail so tightly that my knuckles turn white and squeeze my eyes shut. I hold my left hand close to my side, clutching my Padawan robes. I feel Ahsoka's hand brush mine softly, and I open my eyes. She's turned to face me, and we're staring into each other's eyes.

My fears melt away like snow. My breathing evens out and my heart rate quickens. She grasps my hand and holds it tightly like a life line. She looks down at our joined hands and says, "Calm down... it'll all be alright. It's not like the flight is going to last forever." She smiles slightly.

I don't know what this feeling is that I'm getting, but I know I've never felt it until now.

And if feeling this way means staying here, like this, forever... I don't mind at all.

* * *

The flight ends shortly. Ahsoka holds my hand firmly in hers until we land, when the shuttle comes to a screeching halt. She drops my hand quickly and the doors on either side slide open. Blasterfire can be heard as we step out. I drop to my knees and kiss the ground in an exaggerated manner, and Ahsoka giggles a little.

The land is ravaged and broken, and large, bluish-green crystalline spires rise from the earth. A massive cluster of these spires rests clumped together in several places, while some stand out like frostbitten fingers. In many different spots, clumps of white-armoured men fire upon squads of reddish-brown machines, and behind a downed LAAT, two men with blue lightsabers take shelter.

Ahsoka and I glance at each other and we're obviously thinking the same thing: Our masters. "Let's go," she says softly, drawing her lightsaber. I simply nod and grip mine, and we take off running.

"Padawans, always Padawans," a voice says as we approach. It sounds like it came from the wreckage; it is low and somewhat scornful. Two men are there, both in brown robes with brown pants. One's clothing is of a lighter colour, with the hem of his robe ending just below his waist; he has auburn hair that lies in piles on his head, as well as a long beard of a matching colour. The other has a darker brown robe and has dark brown hair and no facial hair; he has a rather dark expression on his face, so I assume that he made the comment about us.

"Come now, Anakin," the auburn-haired one says, "we knew they would be coming; we had plenty of time to prepare."

"Fine, but if they get in the way, may the Force help them." the other grumbles.

"Hello," I say as we reach them; I bow, and Ahsoka follows suit. "I am Idari Tress, and this is Ahsoka Tano. We were sent here by Master Yoda."

"Of course you were," Anakin mutters darkly.

"Anakin!" the other one hisses sharply. He offers us a smile but it does not reach his eyes. "I apologize for Skywalker; he has yet to learn the patience of a Jedi." He inhales deeply. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master. This is Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight."

A bomb explodes nearby us.

"I don't suppose you two have ever been in battle?" Anakin says gruffly, poking his head up over the twisted, fiery metal. "Damned droids," he mutters.

A large droid with long, mechanical legs and a big, bulbous blue head stands very close to us; it turns a turret head toward us and prepares to fire again, judging by the way it jerks back slightly. I take that opportunity to summon up a Force Wind to push it back; the missile that no doubt would have exploded upon impact is forced back into the droid, blowing it to bits.

"Impressive," Anakin says, nodding. He gives me a slight grin. "Skills like that... I hope you're my Padawan."

A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth, and I run a hand down my Lekku sheepishly. "Sorry sir... I was assigned to Master Kenobi."

"Well, no need to sound so despondent at that," Kenobi says, sounding rather amused. As I begin a fervent string of apologies, he chuckles a little and places his hand on my head. "I was joking. It's perfectly fine; relax, Idari, we're just at war."

"Yes, that's VERY reassuring," Ahsoka says sarcastically. Anakin grins at her.

"Five minutes and you're already sounding like me." he says.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Master Kenobi says, "right now, all we have to do is survive the day and drive back the Separatists. If we can do that, we can launch an ambush at night, and hopefully destroy their foothold, and rid them from the planet."

"Alright, simple enough," Ahsoka says, nodding in agreement.

"...Do you have a plan?"

"Just one," Anakin says sagely, stroking an imaginary beard-possibly trying to mock my-_our_, gotta remember he had him first-master. "Don't get killed."

"...What'd I tell you?" Ahsoka whispers, nudging me in the ribs. "VERY reassuring."

I chuckle a little as the LAAT is tossed into the air by a loud explosion.

* * *

**Well, that's all for today! Once more we want to apologize for the delay, but as previously stated, some real-life stuff was going on and we couldn't write as much as we wanted. The next chapter will hopefully be up within a couple weeks, but I can't promise anything because we have finals coming up and we REALLY have to cram for them. Also, we're probably going to need some OC's later on, so be prepared to type one up if you want! We'll post the character sheets in the next chapter, so watch! **

**Jordan: We hope you all had a really good Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it) and have a great week!**

**Anyway, as always, take care...**

**Jordan: Brush yo hair,**

**We'll see ya when we see ya...**

**Both of us: PEACE!**


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